Be Specific About Books Conducive To The Roman Revolution
| Original Title: | The Roman Revolution |
| ISBN: | 0192803204 (ISBN13: 9780192803207) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Brutus, Marcus Antonius, Augustus, Julius Caesar |
Ronald Syme
Paperback | Pages: 579 pages Rating: 4.24 | 752 Users | 67 Reviews
Description To Books The Roman Revolution
The Roman Revolution is a profound and unconventional treatment of a great theme - the fall of the Republic and the decline of freedom in Rome between 60 BC and AD 14, and the rise to power of the greatest of the Roman Emperors, Augustus. The transformation of state and society, the violent transference of power and property, and the establishment of Augustus' rule are presented in an unconventional narrative, which quotes from ancient evidence, refers seldomly to modern authorities, and states controversial opinions quite openly. The result is a book which is both fresh and compelling.
Mention Of Books The Roman Revolution
| Title | : | The Roman Revolution |
| Author | : | Ronald Syme |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 579 pages |
| Published | : | August 22nd 2002 by Oxford University Press (first published 1939) |
| Categories | : | History. Nonfiction. Ancient History. Classics |
Rating Of Books The Roman Revolution
Ratings: 4.24 From 752 Users | 67 ReviewsWeigh Up Of Books The Roman Revolution
best book i've ever read"The" classic work on the Late Republic (before Gruen, which is largely in response to this book), Syme envisions the first century BC Roman world as a crumbling Republic inhabited by squabbling cliques of aristocrats and over-mighty generals. He classifies the shift between the true "Republic" before Sulla and the institution of the Principate in 27 BC as a true 'Revolution.' I love Syme, and I love his ideas, even if I don't entirely agree with his admittedly extremist arguement...
There is a sadness to this book as you watch an entire group of people - not all angels certainly - slowly extinguished: the Caecilii, Metelli, Scipiones fade from the history of Rome. And newcomers, to whom the Roman historians have not been kind, set up in their place.It really was a revolution, not just a slow decay of the Republic. The ruling classes died off in civil wars and proscriptions, to be replaced by a de novo ruling class which, in the incipient empire, could not continue to hold
General non-introductionI will begin this review with a warning, a little while ago someone informed me that they had their reading experience of a book spoiled by one of my reviews because they felt I had revealed information about the ending, about which comment much can be said and it is unkind of me to be making a little fun of of their compliant in this way, but just in case if you are still on tenterhooks and waiting for news of the outcome of Actium, or do not want to know precisely
This is justly regarded as a classic, yet it is a volume I cannot love. Syme's meticulous and exhaustive account of how Rome transitioned from enfeebled republic to shaky principate is regarded by many as the definitive treatment of the topic. And he writes very well. What makes the volume a little off-putting is simply that it is by a specialist for specialists. Latin quotations are not translated ever. And Syme's quotations are from, well, everywhere. Not just the usual suspects of 1st century
Heaven and the verdict of history conspire to load the scales against the vanquished. Brutus and Cassius lie damned to this day by the futility of their noble deed and by the failure of their armies at Philippi; and the memory of Antonius is overwhelmed by the oratory of Cicero, by fraud and fiction, and by the catastrophe at Actium. ... The tragedies of history do not arise from the conflict of conventional right and wrong. They are more august and more complex. Caesar and Brutus each had right
0 Comments:
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.